The 84th anniversary of OXI Day was celebrated this year with a number of wreath laying ceremonies, dancing and heartfelt speeches by Greek diaspora communities across Australia.
Here’s how the commemorations went down throughout the country.
New South Wales:
In New South Wales, AHEPA Australia held their OXI Day celebrations on Friday, October 25 at the Greek Community Club in Lakemba. The evening featured a number of speeches and traditional dances performed by members of the Aristotelian Academy of Dance, led by Dimitris Papapetrou.
On Saturday, October 26 from 11am, the Inner West Council held a wreath laying ceremony at the Winged Victory Memorial at Marrickville Town Hall. The event was supported by the Joint Committee for the Commemoration of the Battle of Crete & the Greek Campaign, the Pan-Macedonian Association of New South Wales, and the Cretan Association of Sydney & New South Wales.
Official guests present on the day included the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Ioannis Mallikourtis; His Grace Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia; the NSW Minister for Local Government, Ron Hoenig; NSW Minister for Transport, Jo Haylen; and the Mayor of Inner West Council, Darcy Byrne; as well as many Presidents of local Greek communities and youth from local schools or universities.
A Doxology service to mark OXI Day was held in the morning on Sunday, October 27 at the Cathedral of the Annunciation of Our Lady Theotokos in Redfern. This was followed by a wreath laying ceremony in the Cathedral’s courtyard.
Later on Sunday, the inaugural Macarthur Greeks OXI Day was held at the Campbelltown Showground from 11am to 4pm. The event came alive with the irresistible sounds of the bouzouki, dazzling dance performances, and mouth-watering Greek food.
On Monday, October 28, the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW (GOCNSW) held a cocktail party to mark OXI Day at the Greek Community Club in Lakemba from 7pm.
AHEPA NSW will hold their OXI Day celebrations today, October 30 at their hall in Rockdale from 7.30pm.
A final event to commemorate OXI Day in Sydney will be a lecture by Dr Stavros A Paspalas, entitled The Fate of the Antiquities of Greece during World War II, held on November 27 at NSW Parliament House.
Victoria:
In Victoria, the Hellenic RSL Sub Branch in Melbourne marked OXI Day on Monday, October 28.
Commemorations began with a Doxology presided over by His Grace Bishop Kyriakos of Melbourne at St Eustathios Greek Orthodox Church in South Melbourne at 9.30am
This was followed by a wreath laying ceremony at the Australian Hellenic Memorial from 12pm. A memorial service was conducted by Bishop Kyriakos. Guests such as the Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Emmanuel Kakavelakis, and many representatives of community organisations and student delegations later laid wreaths.
At 1pm, another wreath laying ceremony took place at Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance.
South Australia:
The Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia (GOCSA) celebrated OXI Day on Sunday, October 27. The Community held a 10am doxology at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Archangels Michael and Gabriel, followed by a wreath-laying ceremony and poems by afternoon Greek school students.
Australian Capital Territory:
This year, the Australian Capital Territory lit up some of its most well-known buildings in blue on Monday, October 28, to commemorate OXI Day. Some of the buildings were Old Parliament House and The National Carillion Bell Tower.
The Greek Orthodox Community and Church of Canberra (GOCCC) will also hold an event on Sunday, November 3. There will be a special Doxology held at Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in the morning. Students of the Greek Orthodox School of Canberra will perform poems and songs after the service.
At midday, the Canberra community will be invited to head to the Hellenic War Memorial to watch the annual wreath laying ceremony for the heroes of 1940.
Queensland:
On Monday, October 28, the Greek community and friends of Greece came together at Brisbane City Hall for a memorable evening to commemorate OXI Day.
The event was hosted by the Honorary Consul General for Greece in Queensland, George Mastrocostas, in partnership with The Hellenic Initiative Australia. The event saw over 250 Greeks and Philhellenes gather in celebration of this significant day in Greek history, which honours the spirit of courage and resistance.
Northern Territory:
In Darwin, the Greek Orthodox Community of Northern Australia held its OXI Day commemorations on Sunday, October 27 at the Community’s hall.
The event included a memorial service, followed by wreath laying and the recital of poems by young students dressed proudly in traditional Greek costumes.
Official guests in attendance included the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, Lia Finocchiaro MLA, as well as Darwin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis.
Western Australia:
In Western Australia, local Greeks will be able to celebrate OXI Day on Saturday, November 9. There will be a Doxology at the Greek Orthodox Church of St Nektarios in Dianella from 11am, followed by a wreath laying ceremony at the State War Memorial in Kings Park from 4.30pm. The ceremony will be hosted by the new Consul-Designate of Greece, Eleni Georgopoulou.
